Philippine troops kill two Islamic rebels in south

MANILA, Feb 20 (Reuters) US-trained Philippine soldiers killed two members of Abu Sayyaf, the country's deadliest Muslim rebel group, during a chance gunbattle on the remote southwestern island of Jolo, an army general said today.

Brigadier-General Reynaldo Mapagu, commander of the army scout rangers regiment, said one soldier was killed and another was injured during the brief encounter in the jungle near Indanan town late last night.

''Our boys believed they had killed more than two rebels, whose bodies were abandoned by their fleeing comrades,'' said Mapagu, adding that extra troops were ordered to chase the Abu Sayyaf group led by Albader Parad. ''Parad is among our key targets.'' The Philippines, a largely Roman Catholic country, has vowed to crush the Abu Sayyaf, the smallest of four Muslim rebel groups on the archipelago, and with the help of US advisers and equipment it has killed a number of its top commanders.

Security officials say Parad may have taken over as operations chief of Abu Sayyaf after the death of its two top leaders -- Khaddafy Janjalani and Jainal Antel Sali, alias Abu Sulaiman.

Since it started its offensive against the Abu Sayyaf in August 2006, the Philippine military says nearly 70 out of an estimated 400 rebels have been killed and a dozen have been captured. About 30 soldiers have been killed and 90 were wounded.

Mapagu said rangers had stepped up patrols and security operations around Indanan and Parang towns on Jolo during annual US Philippine war games, which kicked off yesterday.

While maritime threats are the focus of this year's two-week joint exercises, on Jolo, hundreds of troops will be building roads and repairing schools and clinics as part of humanitarian activities to win over the local Muslim population.

REUTERS MS PM1703